What Does it Mean to MAKE Your Seat at the Table?

“I see you everywhere…” If I hear this statement (or any variation thereof) again, I might scream!! I’m just kidding… kind of…

Most times, I believe people are genuinely proud to see my love for Springfield and surrounding communities. Partly, though, this slightly offends me. Why? Well for starters, if people see me everywhere, then I see them everywhere too! But I do not make it a point to say this every. single. time. Sometimes, I interpret this as, “Ugh, you again… Why are you here… Don’t you have something else better to be doing with your time…?” By no way am I criticizing or complaining about everyone who has said this to me. In fact, some of my absolute favorite people in Springfield have told me this. My brothers even call me a professional volunteer. However, this has prompted me to think about the core purpose behind what I do.

Networking extraordinaire Dee King with Guaranty Bank says her favorite definition of networking is, “keeping in touch with people when you do not need anything from them.” This sticks with me because it echoes the lessons taught by Don Harkey [People Centric] and Leadership Springfield about building social capital, specifically through bonding and/or bridging. For me, cultivating new connections and strengthening established relationships has always been a sixth sense. But the method behind my madness is far deeper than social capital. The goal is to build trust with others and become more trustworthy to others. Most will see social capital as a means to their next- promotion, job, board, etc. While I would be lying if I did not mention the personal and professional benefits of these connections, this is not my primary motivation. As optimistic as they come, I dream of a better society for my successors including my own son, lunch buddy, and all the other younger generations (current and older ones for that matter).

Two of the biggest philosophies that I live by are: gather information directly from the source and you have no reason to complain if you are not showing effort. What does this mean? There are always two sides to every story. During the recent Kickapoo High School incident, there was a narrative going around that Springfield Police Department had no interest in intervening and frankly did not care. So, I went to the next Coffee with the Chief (courtesy of the reminder from my friend Jasmine Bailey) and asked basically why they did not get involved. To my surprise, the resource officers at the schools are NOT employed with SPD and must invite SPD for them to be involved. So, it was not that SPD did not care; they would have crossed boundaries significantly if they acted before they were asked to. This is important because much of the general public does not know this. It would have been easy to go with the false claim that they were uninterested, but this is the importance of creating a seat and being objective. I have heard many people complain about different issues regarding school board, city council, employment, you name it. The problem is often those complaining either remain complaining without action or they attack with guns blazing which immediately puts people on the defense. There is a place for these approaches. For what it is worth, my opinion is that these methods should be rare and very much so a last resort.

I recognize that many of my predecessors and ancestors fought hard to create these opportunities for me. My parents did the best job they could to set me up for success and continue to be two of my biggest supporters along with my wonderful siblings. I do not discount the struggles that people of color, young professionals, and other historically-marginalized groups had and continue to fight for neither do I obliviously believe that suppressive practices/systems are not still in place. What I am advocating for, however, is for more people to show true love and concern for the wellbeing of others. That entails both of whatever sides truly showing effort. For example, the fight of racism and prejudice practices is not just a black people problem and it is not just a white people problem. There are white leaders that are very intentional and sincere about promoting diversity and inclusion. Unless they have people step up to help facilitate conversations and actions, we have no true platform to complain. On the flipside, the majority must feel comfortable with facing historical events that have led to white [man] privilege and be intentional on seeking out this support. It will be uncomfortable. We will sometimes feel the need to get defensive. We may get impatient. I understand. But we must remember that we all have an obligation to see OUR community’s improvement and success. If we remain focused on this, then we will eventually show drastic changes in OUR community(ies).

For the record, I tend to not ever turn down an opportunity to get coffee/lunch with someone- whether I meet them at Minorities in Business, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, The Network, or anywhere else. If you give me your business card, I will reach out (i.e. Wes Pratt and Matt Morrow serve as consistent mentors to me). Springfield is unique in the sense that there are key leaders that are very accessible. Not only are they accessible, they care. The purpose is to continue to ask plenty of questions to have a better understanding of myself, our community, and ways I can help the community progress. Once people see that you really care, everything else will fall into place. The more I show up and the more genuine questions and input I provide, the more people are willing to value my involvement. I do not have a special potion; I do not have a hidden skillset. All I have is a passion to care!

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention my topmost obligation of recruiting volunteers for CASA of SWMO. At CASA, we thrive on the contributions and support of the community and must continue to have a community presence to support at-risk families and children in foster care. You see me everywhere and will continue to see me because I have the abilities granted to me by God, the endorsement of my wife, and the support of my boss. My “why” is to leave Springfield a better place than I found it and being zealously involved in community development. Subsequently, I hope to grow a Matthew Simpson-ish love for Springfield!